The ‘Parking Policy for Delhi’ also proposes to charge more for daytime parking and for peak hours. Rates will also be different during weekdays and weekends.

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has approved the policy, prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party government, officials said. It will now be open to suggestions from the public and other stakeholders for a month. HT has a copy of the draft policy.

Over the past few years, the city of 17 million people is reeling from record pollution levels, attributed to its more than one crore vehicles. Out of these, an estimated 9.5 lakh are private vehicles and most of them are parked by the roadside.

Delhi’s deterrence policy

If the new rules are adopted in their current form, here’s what may happen to

PARKING AT HOME

Parking on colony roads will attract a fee, though it will be cheaper for night hours

The rate will be higher for those who own more than two cars

MCDs will decide on how many cars will be allowed depending on the area of the owner’s home

Parking on footpaths will be made a cognizable offence

PARKING AT MARKETS

Most street-parking will be for visitors. Business owners will need to use parking lots

Rates will increase exponentially every 30 minutes

Staying beyond 3 hours could attract an additional Rs 100

1,00,93,470 Vehicles registered in Delhi as of Jan 1, 2017

Delhi also witnesses frequent traffic snarls, especially on the narrow roads of residential colonies, due to unplanned parking.

The policy suggests giving parking space on colony streets based on the size of the plot.

“Beyond a specific number, depending on plot size, there should be additional charges for parking on residential streets for equitable distribution of public spaces,” the policy says.

To discourage people from buying multiple cars, it says road tax would be increased on an incremental basis for those who buy more than one car. Besides, those who have more than 2 cars will have to pay a higher parking fee.

Around commercial areas such as markets, it suggests levying three times higher the charge for on-street parking.

The policy also reverses the existing trend where multi-level parking (MLP) lots are costlier than surface parking.

The draft policy also suggests making parking on footpaths a cognisable offence under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.

Accepting a key demand of the Supreme Court-appointed Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, the government has included differential parking charges. This means people will have to pay more during peak hours.

Concerned over rampant encroachment by cars across the city, Baijal asked the Arvind Kejriwal government in January to prepare a comprehensive policy that would lay guidelines for agencies to optimally utilise parking spaces and close the illegal ones.

Once suggestions are received, the transport department will review the policy and make amends, if needed. The final policy will then be sent to the L-G again for his approval after which an order would be issued.

Though its implementation is going to be a challenge with at least eight agencies involved -- including the municipal bodies, the Delhi Development Authority and the traffic police -- the policy seems to have political will.

Both Union ministers of urban development and roadways have expressed concern over Delhi’s parking menace.

Union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu recently said the Centre is planning to make parking proof mandatory for new vehicle registration.

This has been included in Delhi’s parking policy too in which vehicle owners will have to give proof of parking space to get new commercial registrations. Similarly, minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had said that his ministry is working on increasing the penalty for illegal parking.

With nearly 80% of Delhi’s parking lots being operated by the municipal corporations, the biggest roles would be their’s as they will have to fix the new rates.

The government will earn an estimated additional Rs 600 crore from parking fees if the policy is implemented.

The policy also asks them and the DDA to come up with a rule to allow vacant plots in colonies to be developed as parking lots on payment basis.

With the BJP in power in the MCDs and at the Centre, officials expect a quick roll out of the policy once approved.